(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to small arms ammunition, and more particularly to plated hollow point bullets particularly useful in common calibers of centerfire pistol and revolver (collectively “pistol”) ammunition.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Historically, bullets have been of all lead or of jacketed lead constructions. A variety of cartridge sizes exist which may be used in pistols, rifles or both. Among key common pistol ammunition rounds are: .380 Automatic (also commonly designated 9 mm Kurz), 9 mm Luger (also commonly designated 9×19 and 9 mm Parabellum), 0.40 Smith & Wesson (S&W), .45 Automatic (also commonly designated Automatic Colt Pistol (ACP)) and 10 mm Automatic rounds. General dimensions of and pistol rounds are disclosed in Voluntary Industry Performance Standards for Pressure and Velocity of Centerfire Pistol and Revolver Ammunition for the Use of Commercial Manufacturers ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3-1993 (American National Standards Institute, New York, N.Y.), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein as if set forth at length. A newer round, the .357 Sig is also gaining acceptance.
After many decades of use of the .45 ACP round, in the 1980's the U.S. Army adopted a 9 mm Luger full ogival, pointed, full metal case or jacket (FMC or FMJ) round as the standard round for use in military sidearms (also commonly designated as M882 9 MM Luger rounds). The parameters for the M882 9 mm Luger rounds purchased by the U.S. military are shown in U.S. Military standard MIL-C-70508, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein as if set forth at length. The jacket of an FMJ round is commonly formed as a rearwardly open brass cup into which a lead core is inserted. The combination cup and core is then deformed to form the bullet ogive with the jacket rim crimped partially around the bullet base, leaving a centrally exposed portion thereof.
Similar cups may be used to manufacture JHP bullets. In some such bullets, the cup is initially rearwardly open (e.g., as in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,398) whereas in others the cup is forwardly open to fully encapsulate the heel of the core.
The jackets may also be electroplated. U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,814 shows a bullet wherein a lead core precursor is fully electroplated with copper to initially totally encapsulate the precursor. The combination is then deformed to create a nose compartment or cavity. The deformation involves slitting the jacket along walls of the cavity to provide weakened areas to separate petals upon impact. This process leaves exposed lead within the cavity. In other JHP manufacturing processes, a nose portion of the bullet may be masked preventing plating thereon or the plating may be removed prior to finish forming. In either of these cases, the cavity interior and perhaps a portion of the exterior of the nose will have exposed lead.